Bolstered by anonymous donor, significant fundraising West Side Story takes stage at McMahon

By MATT COYNEHour Staff Writer

Published 8:23 am, Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Photo: ShadowLoungeProductions.com

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Drama Club cast perform a scene from "West Side Story" in Brien McMahon High School's production that offers more performances Friday at 8 p.m, and Saturday at

2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Contributed photo

Drama Club cast perform a scene from "West Side Story" in Brien McMahon High School's production that offers more performances Friday at 8 p.m, and Saturday at

2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Photo: ShadowLoungeProductions.com

Bolstered by anonymous donor, significant fundraising West Side Story takes stage at McMahon

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NORWALK -- Last year the cash-strapped Drama Club at Brien McMahon High School reached out to the city to help it raise money to produce "West Side Story."

This weekend, the students will put on three shows in the second weekend of their performance.

"Budgets are tight in Norwalk. The parents said we don't think it's fair because this is a musical that anywhere from 80 to 100 kids are involved," said Frank Arcari, the production director. "To not have one because there isn't enough money is unacceptable to us."

The students did a fundraiser at O'Neill's Pub and Restaurant in South Norwalk in October and in December the pop group Kicking Daisies performed at the school.

But the biggest chunk of the $30,000 the students needed to put on the show came from a local businessman who donated $15,000 and is choosing to remain anonymous.

Kaitlyn Cleary, one of the two student producers on the show, found the donor through her father who knew the man.

"I made this whole presentation and I gave it to him," Cleary said. "I guess he liked it and he decided to donate."

The donation was made in late October, which allowed Arcari and the students to begin planning the show, but more fundraising needed to be done before the show could start.

"Once we got the word out there that we needed money, we had meetings, we put an article in the paper, we were really kind of flooded with donations. They were as small as $50 and as big as $500," Cleary said.

"There was a lot of support and it really kind of gave us the energy to push through and have all these big fundraisers like O'Neill's and the Kicking Daisies concert, which also brought in a lot of money."

Arcari said the challenge the students took on was so great, that a play as challenging and difficult as "West Side Story" was apt.

"What they did as far as I'm concerned is nearly impossible. It's not like any of them are so affluent that they can just take out a check and write it out there and then," Arcari said.

"They really wanted to do something and no was not an option. They dug in, they did it, they met their goal. I promised them we would do something, we would do something special and we're on "West Side Story" now and I couldn't be more proud."

The students will put on a show on Friday at 8 p.m. and two on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. The shows are all at Brien McMahon.